Chapter 24 – Enter Tallis

The next morning, while Aisha was having breakfast with Merrill and Hawke, Varric came in. Aisha was quite sure what it was about and just watched as Varric sat down and told Hawke that one of his informers, Edge, had said that somebody wanted to meet Hawke the same night to talk about nobles.

"Nobles?" Hawke asked, "what have I done now?"

"Should you really be listening to somebody called Edge?" Aisha asked in the background with one eyebrow raised.

"I don't know," Varric shrugged, "he just said that some nobles or something wanted to meet in high town after dark. He sounded Orlesian. "

It was Hawke's turn to look suspicious.

"High town after dark? Does he think we're stupid?"

But Aisha looked up at the word 'orlesian'.

"We should go," she said suddenly causing the others to look up at her, surprised, "what? I just think that even if it is a trap, if somebody wants you dead- wouldn't it be better if you just prepared and went there to catch him or her instead?"

"You have a point," Hawke nodded and then turned to Varric, "okay, we'll go tonight. Breakfast?"

…

Merrill was not feeling particularly well so Hawke felt happier knowing that her lover was going to stay home and asked Aisha to tag along instead. Aisha appreciated the fact that Hawke had asked her if she would be comfortable with bringing Isabela along. The young mage wasn't sure how she felt; seeing the pirate was complicated but she didn't feel like she had any right to complain.

It was already dark when Hawke, Aisha, Varric, Isabela and Aveline made their way to a square in High town. It was an open space that Varric led them to and it was clearly a good place for an ambush, all of them saw it and Hawke turned to Varric.

"Feels like I'm ambush," she said and looked around at the tall walls.

"That's what you get for trusting a man called Edge," Isabela said, making Aisha smile without hardly wanting to. It mirrored her earlier words.

Varric shook his head.

"It doesn't always have to be an ambush." In that exact moment about twelve guards dropped down from the walls. Soon the group was surrounded.

"Alright," Varric admited, "maybe sometimes it is an ambush."

One of the men turned around, smirking and with a cruel look in his eyes.

"Well, well," he said, "the champion of Kirkwall. You die today." He was then hit in shoulder by an knife. The group looked up to where the knife had been thrown and Isabela saw to her amusement that it was Aisha's elf from last night.

The elf jumped with amazing agility from side to side, making her way to the group and stabbing several guards in the process. Aisha couldn't help but smile, seeing her lover so agile and able. Her fighting was like a dance and the young mage couldn't help but being a bit mesmerized. She and Tallis had talked about it before hand and decided that they weren't going to tell Hawke that they knew each other.

Tallis landed in front of them and took out several guards by herself before pressing her knife against the throat of the leader. Aisha looked at Isabela quickly, hoping that Isabela wouldn't recognize the elf that had walked her home the other night. Sadly the pirate was looking amused and gave her a look, Aisha shook her head, hoping that the others didn't see. Isabela nodded. She wouldn't tell if Aisha didn't want her to; keeing a secret wasn't a problem.

Tallis stabbed the leader in the throat before he managed to bark out his order, then she turned around and faced Hawke.

"Well," she said, "what are you waiting for?"

Hawke smirked.

"You seemed to be doing quite well on your own." But then she lifted her staff up, Varric took out Bianca, Isabela her knives and Aveline drew her sword. Then they quickly assaulted the rest of the armed men. Aisha didn't carry a staff but didn't need one; she had focused quite a lot on elemental destructive forces and Isabela noticed that the young mage had learned a trick or two during her absent years. Tallis continued fighting also, but not before managing to wink at Aisha while everybody else was looking away. Isabela did catch it and felt some dark emotion sink to the pit of her stomach. The pirate couldn't tell what the emotion was but it made her feel uncomfortable and she looked away and instead focused on the enemies in front of her.

When they were defeated Tallis was covered in blood.

"Sloppy," she said and started walking towards Hawke and the others with rather sultry steps, "I would have expected the Crows to be better than this. They have been doing it for ages."

Hawke put on her usual smirk. It was confident, cocky but equally charming; it was a smile that had made so many templars and city guards trust her. It was the smile that had actually saved them more than one time.

"I rather liked your entrance," Hawke said as Tallis walked closer, "you have some... fine moves."

"I do don't I?" Tallis replied, equally confident, "my name is Tallis, and I've been looking for you."

"Looking for me?"

"Looking for the woman who has an invitation to Chateau Haine to be specific." Everyone in the group looked at Hawke..

"What?" she asked, "I got the invitation weeks ago, it's all noble bullshi..."

"I was thinking that we could go," Tallis interrupted her.

"It's not the type of thing I enjoy," Hawke said.

"I was hoping you could reconsider," Tallis said, "the Duke who is throwing it is a delightful host, or so I hear..."

"Let me guess," Hawke replied, "this isn't just a social call?"

Tallis opened her mouth and started talking, Aisha fully aware that she was lying. The mage found herself crossing her fingers behind her back, hoping that Hawke would agree to help her friend. Hawke had to help her; without her help, Tallis' cause was lost.